Thomasina's Catering Hall — Restaurant in New York

If I could give zero stars, I would, but I guess the one star is because our guests got to eat & weren't left starving after a draining day and long drive. Our family lost one of our members and through our pain and mourning, after the funeral we had to deal with complete unprofessional BS, for lack of a better term. I wouldn't recommend this place to my enemy, let alone friend.

The manager was rude, nasty, and very condescending in his tone and attitude the entire time. We were notified about the coat check (mandatory $1) way too late. This is something that should have been discussed or put in writing when we booked the hall for the repast (post funeral gathering). There is no changing station or table if you have babies. We went to a corner and covered the seats with a blanket and stood to block the crowd (although no one cared, especially since it was our private family event, its principle so we did what we had to) and we were basically harassed by more than one employee. I asked if they expected us to change the baby's (#1, not even #2) diaper on the bathroom floor instead, and were rudely told that they could have let us use a different room. Welp!!! Diaper is changed already, thanks but too late, please carry on.

The food was bland and there were things chosen and paid for on the menu that weren't even offered. How? Seriously, how? They told us they would give us leftover food to go home, as we had less people than we anticipated and paid for. What they gave us was white take out cartons of left over scraps of what they served us. What a disappointment. They could have given that to a less fortunate person or two instead. While serving the food, some of the female employees had seriously disgusting attitudes. One was coughing and someone had to tell her that maybe she should have stayed home if she was under the weather AND rude on top of it. Inexcusable.

They hooked up a tablet to the speaker system and played YouTube videos. We asked to unplug the auxiliary cord and place one of our phones or iPod to a playlist with songs that brought lovely memories of our loved one and were rudely told no. We asked if we can request a favorite song and they can play it themselves and they rudely said no by the manager and that this was a repast, not a party. I calmly (because at this point everyone else was far too upset so I attempted to salvage what was left of our time at this establishment) spoke to the manager and explained that yes this is a repast, and we just want to be able to end on a positive note with a favorite song of the deceased that everyone knew and since they're literally playing YouTube songs, what's one song at OUR request? Homeboy told me no. At that point.... I was done & extremely upset/frustrated/hurt.

This was supposed to be a celebration of life, it was plain awful. I'm sure our beloved was rolling in His grave before he could even adjust to being in one. He's in a better place now, and it is understood that we all have to go some day, So we're dealing with that and slowly accepting that He is no longer with us, but we regret booking this hall more than words can describe. Unfortunately for us, we can't undo such an awful experience, But I'm sure our family and friends both who live in NY and who don't (imagine you come to pay your last respects to someone and this is how your trip ends, yuck!) would be sure to never patronize here again. Not even if...

My first visit to Thomasina's. The occasion, repast dinner. Room two. Aprox 75-100 people were present. Buffet style dinner. Everyone's plate was served with generous portions. One only had to ask for reduced size in servings and servers were more than happy to accommodate. A smile added to this would have been a nice touch. In addition, it was observed and experienced personally, that most questions directed at the serving staff were ignored. At first I thought they didn't hear. So, I repeated the question. Then, I saw I too was being ignored. So, you learn to ask someone else. Or, be satisfied with your question going unanswered. What were the questions being asked? What type of fish is this? Is the fish breaded? There's no more corn bread or fish, will there be more brought out? Every now and then it would have been nice to have staff smile and communicate with everyone. Also, our questions were presented to other staff walking around. This is how they responded, "you see that line for food. Well, some have returned waiting for the fish." Oh, I realized I needed to step to the side and wait because I wasn't going to come back. I asked one of the servers if it would be ok to do this, she made eye contact but, no response given. I then made the statement that I was waiting for fish and would stand to the side, no response. When the fish and corn bread arrived there seemed to be no order to seperate the line from those who were waiting for fish, and tables that were being served for the first time. Fortunatly, the servers had patrons who were patient and flexible. No cutting the line or rushing to get at the fish. But, the fish and corn bread quickly disappeared. So, some people heard they served fish, mac and cheese and corn bread. I saw the mac and cheese on other plates. But, they ran out when my table number was called, it was never brought out again, nor the fish. I was able to a generous piece of fish. The fish was whiting, it was fried to perfection, with no seasoning, the fish was delicious. Immediatly, I was looking to share with others who didn't have any. The baked fish was heaby handed with seasoning, so it tasted salty. The corn bread was very sweet and doughy, not fully baked. Dessert was served when the bulk of the guests had and were leaving. It was one flavor only, vanilla. With an option to pour chocolate syrup on it. The ice cream was melting when it was brought out. It seemed to be served in a 8oz old fashioned drinking glass. Thomasina entrance has a professional feel and look. But, relaxed. The dining rooms are simple but quite pretty. Love the lightening fixtures. The tables are oversized and are set to seat 10-12 people. The room between each table for guests to move in and out of their seat can be cramped at times. Depending, not only on the body size , but also, the space given to the person at the preceding table. Women's bathrooms have two stalls with ample room.Thomasina's has yearly events and on a certain day of the month, all you can eat buffet. This month, it's Oct. 27, Sun., only for all you can eat buffet at...

Choosing Thomasina's catering hall to host a milestone 75th birthday was without a doubt a great one! Tony was professional and accommodating right from the start, making adjustments to the menu, table linens and table arrangements just to ensure that the vision would be carried out well! Crystal was amazing in incorporating some of the decorations that I had brought along into the already beautiful setup that she had laid out. Crystal, lead hostess, along with Bryant and Corin made our guests feel welcomed and served with a smile. It was so refreshing to see young people operate with such professionalism. Zoe greeted our guests and checked their coats with such grace. Made everyone feel welcomed from the time they walked in the door. Zoe went above and beyond at the end of the night to ensure that everything we had was packed away and even helped to bring it out to the car. Even when some guests came almost towards the end of our time, Tony and the staff ensured that not one of our guests left hungry. This level of service is second to none and was truly appreciated. Overall, I must say that the experience at Thomasina's was excellent and I am glad that this neighborhood gem is still around to serve the community after all...